Brazilian defender Filipe Luis announced Thursday that he was retiring from sport at the age of 38, after two decades spent between Europe and the Brazilian championship.
“It was a very difficult decision, those who know me know that I always told my friends and family that I wanted to play until I was 45, but unfortunately that won't be possible,” said the full-back. left in a video broadcast by his club Flamengo.
The ex-international's season was punctuated by injuries and physical problems, reducing his playing time. “I always promised myself that I would make the decision to stop if I was not able to play at the same level and to feel good,” he continues in his video.
Trained in Brazil, the left-hander played for 14 seasons in Europe, mainly at Atlético Madrid where he wore the jersey between 2010 and 2014 then from 2015 to 2019, winning a Spanish championship title (2013-14), two Europa League (2012 then 2018), a Spanish Cup (2013) and three European Super Cups (2010, 2012 and 2018).
Returning to his native country in 2019, Filipe Luis won two Brazilian championship titles (2019, 2020) and two Copas Libertadores (2019, 2022) with Flamengo. For the national team, he made his debut in October 2009 against Venezuela before playing 44 international matches, scoring two goals. Present in Russia during the World Cup in 2018 (elimination in the quarter-finals by Belgium), he took part in the title at the 2019 Copa America.
Filipe Luis will say goodbye to football on Sunday at the Maracana stadium when they host Cuiabá on the penultimate day of the Brazilian championship. “I want to close this chapter and start a new story in football,” he announces.